Air diffuser



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CARLOS E. DOM/NGUEZ ATTORNEYS ept 26, 1967 c. E. DOMINGUEZ AIR DIFFUSER Filed Aug. 2, 1965 Sept. 26, 1967 E. DOMINGUEZ AIR DIFFUSER 2 Sheets-Sheef. 2

Filed Aug. 2, 1965 United States Patent 3,343,476 AIR DIFFUSER Carlos E. Dominguez, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to Hupp Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Virginia Filed Aug. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 476,551 7 Claims. (Cl. 9840) This invention is directed to air diffusion devices and more specifically to baseboard air diffusion control a systems.

Prior devices of this nature are normally capable of delivering only relatively small quantities of conditioned air at a time into the room which is being cooled or heated from the central cooling or heating system. Consequently, the devices common to the prior art normally require a plurality of outlets to control the temperature of a single room. This contributes to the hi h expense involved in extensive duct Work and installation. Furthermore, many of the devices common to the prior art require elbows and risers to locate the air diffuser at a position elevated along a wall of the room. The use of such elbows and risers increases the air duct resistance and consequently, decreases the efiiciency of the diffuser.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an air diffusion apparatus of simplified construction capable of delivering large quantities of conditioned air into a room for temperature control from a minimum number of outlets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified baseboard air diffuser which eliminates heat loss or heat gain due to air-wall feed connections and reduces air duct resistance by elimination of elbows and risers.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air diffuser having a stationary planar surface air deflection vane and a single movable air directing vane which has an opposing surface portion which is at all times substantially parallel with the stationary vane planar surface.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an air diffusion control means which is flexible in that it can be made of any length without regard to wall construction for suppling large quantities of conditioned air into a room for temperature control.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an air diffuser which is simple to install and easy to blend into the baseboard construction to provide inconspicuous air distribution outlets.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an air distribution system which is located in the baseboard of a room close to the floor air and designed for air input into the room at an angle Which will induce the flow of floor air into the primary air stream from the diffuser assuring circulation of conditioned air thoroughly throughout the room.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a control means for a baseboard air diffuser which comprises an arcuate slidable vane mounted on vertical rods and abutting a substantially circular cam mechanism eccentrically connected to a rotatable control knob for varying the width of the outlet passageway from the diffuser into the room thereby accurately controlling the amount of conditioned air which is emitted into the room from the diffuser.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the air diffuser of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially sectioned front elevation of the air diffuser of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the air diffuser of this invention illustrating its appearance when installed in the baseboard of a room; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of an alternative embodiment of the air diffuser of this invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout to indicate the same parts, the air diffuser of this invention comprises a generally rectangular walled structure or housing consisting of a vertically extending plate-like rear wall 10, a plate-like but somewhat shorter front wall 12 and end walls 14 (see FIGURE 2). The housing may be formed from a substantially rigid material, such as sheet metal or thermally resistant plastic in any manner well known in the art. The lower ends of the diffuser walls may be bent outwardly and downwardly to provide attachment flanges 16 (see FIGURE 2) for crimping about mating outturned flanges 18 formed conventionally on air distribution duct work as shown in FIGURE 1 or other suitable means may be provided for securing the air diffuser to the duct work.

Rear wall 10 is provided at its upper end with a horizontally forwardly directed portion 20 merging into a planar inclined air flow directing wall surface 22 which extends upwardly and forwardly from horizontal portion 28 to define an acute angle A with the horizontal floor line. Preferably angle A is of the order of 60 to dispose surface 22 to direct the discharged air upwardly and outwardly thereby inducing floor air into the primary stream but the diffuser is operable for any acute angle of inclination of surface 22.

This structural arrangement of the diffuser effects flow of a thin blanket of conditioned air into the room. The conditioned air blanket hugs the Wall on which the diffuser is mounted (see FIGURE 3) forming a barrier of conditioned air between the room wall and interior. If the diffuser is mounted on an outside wall under a window or group of Windows, the thin air blanket provides a barrier layer of conditioned air which substantially reduces undesirable radiation from the ouside. It has been found that the diffuser may even be placed behind window drapes and the like with no apparent obstacle to th flow of conditioned air and the formation of the thin air blanket radiation barrier.

Air flow directing surface 22 at its upper edge is return bent rearwardly to form a horizontal planar wall 24 terminating in a vertically downwardly extending wall 26 defining with wall portion 20 and wall surface 22 a laterally continuous passage between end walls 14 open along the lower edge of wall 26. The diffuser housing is inset in a cut out portion of a baseboard panel 28 and the adjacent flooring with the rear wall 10 abutting the vertical side wall 29 of the room.

Front closure plate 12 is provided at its upper end with a rearwardly directed laterally continuous upper horizontal flange 32 and a pair of laterally spaced rearwardly directed tongues or shelf formations 34 comprising cut-out portions of Wall 12 (FIGURE 2). A pair of guide rods 36 provided at their upper ends with enlarged heads 38 are disposed between flanges 32 and the respective tongues 34 to form slide guides for shiftable air flow volume control vane 42. As best seen in FIGURE 1, guide rods 36 are encircled at their upper ends by respective biasing compression coil springs 40 and pass through vertically spaced guide passages 41 (FIGURES 1 and 2) in vertically movable air flow volume control vane 42 substantially coextensive in length with stationary vane 10 and having an upper edge 49, convex surface 48 merging into an integral lower forwardly extending flange 44 carrying a return-bent overlying flange 46. Vane 42 is made of light weight metal or plastic for a reason to be hereinafter pointed out.

Downwardly biasing compression springs 40 are axially disposed about guide rods 36 and vertically movable air flow volume control vane 42 is slidably mounted through passages 41 of integral lower flange 44 and flange 46 on vertical guide rods 36 in subjacent abutting relation to biasing springs 40. The convex surface 48 of movable vane 42 is disposed opposite air flow directing surface 22 of stationary air deflection vane rear wall to define a primary upwardly and forwardly directed air outlet passage 44. The radius of curvature of arcuate movable vane 42 is selected to provide at all adjusted heights of vane 42 a portion of convex surface 48 in opposing substantially parallel throat defining relation to air flow directing surface 22. The enlarged heads 38 of guide rods 36 may be welded, riveted or otherwise appropriately fastened to rearwardly directed flange 32 after assembly of springs and vane 42 thereon and insertion of the lower rod ends into alignment passages in tongues 34 to fix vane 42 in an upright position.

Front closure plate 12 midway of tongues 34 is provided with a through opening 51 carrying a press fit flanged bearing sleeve journaling a stub shaft 52. The inner end of shaft 52 fixedly mounts an eccentric cam 54 the hub 53 of which abuts a friction ring 55 disposed to cooperate with the flanged end of bearing sleeve 50 and the periphery of which supportingly engages the undersurface of flange 44 of movable vane 42 midway between guide rods 36. The outer end of shaft 52 fixedly mounts a control knob 56, the hub 57 of which abuts the opposite end of bearing sleeve 50. Preferably knob 56 is adjustably mounted on the forwardly extending end of shaft 52 by means of a set screw 58 so knob 56 can be adjusted axially along shaft 52 to clampingly engage sleeve 50 and friction ring 55 between the hubs 53 and 57. Shaft 52 is prevented from rotation under influence of the springs 40 and weight of vane 42 by abutment of bearing member 50 .and'hub 53 with friction ring 55.

Vane 42 is raised and lowered by manual rotation of I knob 56, shaft 52 and cam 54 fixed to shaft 52, the varying radial distance of eccentric cam 54 being effective through engagement with flange 44 of vane 42 and springs 40 to move convex surface 48 toward and away from face 22 of rear wall 10. Cam 54 is preferably dimensioned and arranged to assure that the opposing portion of arcuate vane 42 is moved into abutting relation with planar air flow directing surface 22 at least once during a 360 rotation of manual control knob 56.

Due to the opposing actions of downwardly biasing compression springs 40 and the line engagement of flange 44 with cam 54, the upper edge 49 of convex surface 48 of movable arcuate vane 42 is at all times evenly spaced from air flow deflection surface 22 to provide even flow of air from the diffuser into the room. Compression springs 40 and cam mechanism 54 additionally supplement guide rods 36 in maintaining movable arcuate vane 42 in an upright position such that the locus of the movement of edge 49 is substantially a vertical plane.

End walls 14 of the diffuser housing are preferably provided with keyhole slots 69 for receiving cooperating flat-headed rivets or like fasteners 62 attached to the inner surface of the end walls 63 of a decorative diffuser cover or shield 64 for enhancing the aesthetic quality of the diffuser when in place in a baseboard 66 as shown in FIG- URE 3. Decorative shield 64 is three-sided with its ends spaced to receive the end walls 14 therebetween and dimensioned to abut the baseboard alongside the opening for the diffuser and hide the cut edges. Shield 64 may be provided with an inwardly extending laterally continuous flange 65 along its upper edge for enhancing its appearance. Shield 64 may be constructed from any rigid formable material such as thin sheet metal or plastic having sufficient resilience to permit outward flexing of its ends to pass the fasteners 62 into position opposite keyhole slots 60.

To adjust the air flow from the diffuser shown in FIG- URE 1,, it is necessary to remove decorative shield 64 to provide access to the manual control knob. FIGURE 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the air diffuser of this invention having a cam 70 with a hub 71 and a manual control knob 72 with a hub 73 both provided with threaded through-apertures receiving set screws 74 for detachably mounting the cam mechanism and the control knob on an elongated cam shaft 76 which extends forwardly of the decorative shield to receive knob 72. Decorative shield 78 is provided with a through opening 79 receiving a press-fit flanged sleeve bearing 80 for journalling shaft 76 in spaced relation to hearing 50 thereby allowing manual control knob 72 to be mounted on the outside of the shield for easy access. All other parts of the FIGURE 4 embodiment are the same as those discussed with respect to FIGURE 1. In this embodiment the aesthetic quality of the diffuser may be further enhanced by the choice of a decorative control knob which blends into the room interior decorating scheme.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive with the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. An air diffuser comprising a stationary vane means having a planar surface extending upwardly and outwardly at an acute angle from the horizontal; vertical guide members disposed adjacent said stationary vane opposite said planar surface; a movable vane slidably mounted on said vertical guide members for vertical movement toward and away from said planar surface of said stationary vane between fully closed abutting relation and fully open spaced relation to provide an elongated air outlet of varying width; means disposed about said guide members in abutting relation with said movable vane for biasing said movable vane toward its fully open spaced relation; rotatable camming means fixed in opposed abutting relation with said movable vane for moving said movable vane against the force of said biasing means; and manual means connected to said camming means for selectively rotating said camming means to adjust the position of said movable vane and the width of said air outlet.

2. The diffuser defined in claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprises compression springs axially disposed about said vertical guide members. V V

3. The diffuser defined in claim 2 wherein said camming means comprises a substantially circular disc fixedly eccentrically mounted on a shaft and said manual means is a control knob fixedly connected to said shaft.

4. The diffuser of claim 3 wherein said disc and said knob each have hubs at least one of which is adjustably fixed to said shaft, said shaft is mounted in a stationary sleeve bearing, one end of which abuts a friction ring and said hubs are disposed in opposed clamping relation to said sleeve bearing and friction ring to retain said camming means in adjusted position against the biasing force of said compression springs.

5. An air diffuser as defined in claim 4 including means.

on said end walls for mounting a decorative shield for. attractively concealing said air diffuser.

6. An air diffuser unit as defined in claim 5 wherein" said shaft extends through and is journalled in said shield to permit mounting of said control knob outside of said.

tionary vane mounted on said front wall for vertical movement toward and away from said stationary vane to vary the width of said air outlet passage; and manual control means mounted on said front Wall for adjustably positioning said arcuate vane thereby selectively adjusting the width of said air outlet passage, said manual control means comprising a rotatable cam mechanism comprising an eccentric cam in supporting abutting relation with a surface of said movable vane, a cam shaft having one end fixed to said eccentric cam, and a manually operable control knob fixedly mounted on the opposite end of said cam shaft for rotating said cam shaft and cam to selectively vary the rotational position of said cam mechanism.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,955,522 10/1960 Kristiansen 984l X r 3,081,689 3/1963 Bell 9840 0 3,083,632 4/1963 Brandes 9840 3,106,147 10/1963 Cones 9838 3,194,145 7/1965 Robertson 9840 3,235,178 2/1966 Miles et al. 236--l3 10 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

MEYER PERLIN, Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AIR DIFFUSER COMPRISING A STATIONARY VANE MEANS HAVING A PLANAR SURFACE EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY AT AN ACUTE ANGLE FROM THE HORIZONTAL; VERTICAL GUIDE MEMBERS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID STATIONARY VANE OPPOSITE SAID PLANAR SURFACE; A MOVABLE VANE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL GUIDE MEMBERS FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PLANAR SURFACE OF SAID STATIONARY VANE BETWEEN FULLY CLOSED ABUTTING RELATION AND FULLY OPEN SPACED RELATION TO PROVIDE AN ELONGATED AIR OUTLET OF VARYING WIDTH; MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT SAID GUIDE MEMBERS IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH SAID MOVABLE VANE FOR BIASING SAID MOVABLE VANE TOWARD ITS FULLY OPEN SPACED RELATION; ROTATABLE CAMMING MEANS FIXED IN OPPOSED ABUTTING RELATION WITH SAID MOVABLE VANE FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE VANE AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS; AND MANUAL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CAMMING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ROTATING SAID CAMMING MEANS TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF SAID MOVABLE VANE AND THE WIDTH OF SAID AIR OUTLET. 